Mahabaleshwar
If you want to enjoy cool mountain air, lush greenery, breathtaking valleys and soaring mountain peaks, you should go to Mahabaleshwar. Mahabaleshwar is a hill station situated in the Sayhadri range of Maharashtra state. It is situated about southwest of Pune at a distance of 115 kms. It is situated in Satara district at an altitude of 1372 m above sea level.
Since Mahabaleshwar is situated at high altitude, the place has cool climate. It was once the summer capital of Bombay presidency during the British Raj. Mahabaleshwar literally means God of Great power in Sanskrit language.
The place needs some days for exploration and experience the scenic beauty. The town market is called as Malcolm peth after the British governor Sir Jon Malcom. The market is located in the heart of Mahabaleshwar town. There are hotels, restaurants, shops, Government offices and outlying bungalows here.
Mahabaleshwar is a very good tourist destination and you can visit it throughout the year. You should come here only if you love heavy rains and want to enjoy indoors as the town is virtually shut down during the torrential rains. Mahabaleshwar is well known for its numerous sight seeing points. Each point provides with a unique perspective of the beautiful hills. There is a Dhom dam on the way to Babington point. You can take an interesting break here.
The roads in Mahabaleshwar are in very good condition and you can roam around in a car, jeep or a Tonga. There are many old buildings which take you back to the old era. There is a Mount Malcolm building which was once the residence of Malcolm when he was a governor of Bombay presidency. There are other buildings worth visiting like the Morarji castle (Mahatma Gandhi lived here during 1945), Mahabaleshwar club, etc.
There are a number of sights seeing points in Mahabaleshwar. Lodwick point has a great view of the forests and lush green valleys. The Dhobi waterfalls are located between the Lodwick point and Elphinstone point and there are many spots overlooking the Koyna River on the way. The Lingamala water falls are visible from great distance also there are Chinaman's waterfalls which add to the natural beauty of the place. The Arthur's seat is a very popular spot and there is a needlepoint where the hill has a big hole that looks like a needle hole. There is tiger spring and just near to it is the Window point. The view of the valley from here is mesmerizing.
There is a Krishna and Mahabaleshwar temple. There is a point of the five rivers that flow over Deccan. These rivers consist mainly of Krishna, Koyna, Savitri, Veena and Gayatri. Mahabaleshwar is considered as a holy town and has a very strong historic background.
You can enjoy boating, fishing and ponytail riding on the Venna lake. There are many interesting stalls of entertainment where you can play games and indulge in some snacks. You can go to Panchgani if you further drive own the road.
Panchgani tableland is a very nice picnic spot. There are many strawberry fields on the way and you can pick your own strawberries here. Panch means Five and gain means hills. This place is surrounded by 5 hills hence the name. Panchgani is very popular for its boarding schools and farms of strawberry and raspberry.